Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (7.23.25)

Wild Love by Elsie Silver (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: Billionaire Ford Grant seeks refuge in Rose Hill to open a recording studio but finds his plans upended when a young girl claims to be his daughter, forcing him to balance new fatherhood with an undeniable attraction to Rosie Belmont, his best friend’s sister. 

This was such a sweet romance! I absolutely loved it, even though I wished it were about 100-150 pages shorter. (Romance novels should not be 400+ pages, I will die on this hill!) The rapport between Ford and Rosie was electric right from the start, and I was so happy the author didn’t learn too hard into the “best friend’s sister” trope. (You know, the big brother who gets all toxic masculinity about someone dating his baby sister? Blech.) I was also pleasantly surprised by how the secret daughter plotline was handled. It was different from what I expected, and I adored the way Ford’s family rallied around this young girl. Overall, I thought this was a well-written romance, and while there was one odd plot point near the end I could’ve done without, I’ll give Elsie Silver a pass on that one. I’m excited to read more books in this series!

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (★★★★★)

E-book • Owned (Amazon) • Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: When astrophysics professor Joan Goodwin discovers NASA is recruiting its first female astronauts in 1980, she embarks on an unexpected journey, finding friendship, love, and a new perspective on her place in the universe, only for her world to be irrevocably altered during a mission in 1984.

Taylor Jenkins Reid did it again—at least for me! I adored this book and not just because I am a sucker for any book about astronomy. There was so much to love here. There was Joan, a character who was so easy to root for. There was her love story with fellow astronaut, Vanessa, and Joan figuring out her sexuality during a time when queerness had to be kept quiet. I was fully invested in their relationship! There were all of the supporting characters—the other astronauts in Joan and Vanessa’s class at NASA as well as Joan’s niece. The bond between Joan and her niece was such a sweet part of the story. And there was so much I learned about NASA and how competitive it is to become an astronaut. I’d never really considered just how few people are selected for missions each year, or how hard it must be on those who don’t make the cut. Most especially, these women were at NASA during a time when they were going to be some of the first women astronauts in space, which adds another layer of complexity.

Throughout the book, chapters from Joan’s early days at NASA are interspersed with scenes from a high-stakes mission in 1984. Those scenes had me on the edge of my seat! While some people have complained that the book is a little predictable, it wasn’t something that bothered me. (Hell, I’m a romance reader; I live for predictability!) The ending had me in tears, which is something that hasn’t happened while reading a book in a long time.

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (★★★★☆)

E-book • Libby • Contemporary Romance • 2022

Short synopsis: Florence Day, a cynical romance ghostwriter who no longer believes in love, returns to her hometown to bury her father—only to discover the ghost of her recently deceased (and very handsome) editor haunting her family’s funeral home. 

Ashley Poston is the queen of writing romance novels with a magical twist. In this case, the twist is that Florence can see and communicate with ghosts. She’s still reeling from a breakup when her father dies unexpectedly. What she doesn’t expect is to come face-to-face with her dead editor while she’s back home helping with funeral preparations.

It’s such a unique story and while I knew from the beginning how all of this was going to end (this was a romance novel, after all), the journey to get there was absolutely delightful. Florence’s family owns a funeral home, so the book talks frankly about death and grief and what happens after you die. I usually find it uncomfortable to think about death, but I really appreciated thow the author handled the subject. It wasn’t heavy-handed or too dark. It felt like a natural part of life, which it is, and something that can be intensely sad but also intensely beautiful. I really, really loved this romance novel!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (7.16.25)

Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Thriller • 2023

Short synopsis: In the seemingly safe neighborhood of Stanhope, nine-year-old Avery Wooler goes missing just hours after a violent encounter with her father—unraveling a web of secrets, lies, and neighbors with something to hide. 

Gosh, this thriller was excellent… until the ending. The ending was such a letdown that it dropped my rating from 5 to 4 stars. Up until that point, I was so intrigued by the story and never wanted to stop listening, which is always a great sign. This novel tells the story of a young girl who goes missing and the subsequent search for her. In the midst of that, all kinds of secrets are revealed about this small neighborhood. There are a lot of characters in this novel, but it was pretty easy to keep track of them all. While I had my own theory about what happened to Avery, I was genuinely shocked by the truth. It was such a great reveal. Even though I wanted more from the ending, I was still overall satisfied with my reading experience. (Recommendation source: Sarah’s Book Shelves Live.)

Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Contemporary Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: After falling behind on rent, thirty-year-old Freya returns to her suburban hometown and unexpectedly reunites with her estranged teenage niece, Aubrey; together, they work to rebuild their fractured bond and the crumbling house they now share.

Allison Larkin’s previous novel, The People We Keep, was one of my favorite books of 2023. So I was excited when I heard about her newest release, set in her hometown and centered on a woman who’s down on her luck. At first, I wasn’t sold on the premise, but Larkin’s writing immediately pulled me in. She has this beautiful way with words that swept me right into Freya’s world and into the small town she left behind. This book is really about family, and how family can surprise you and break your heart at the same time. It’s about the detours life throws our way, second chances, and learning to find your own kind of happiness. While I don’t think this novel will make my favorites list at the end of the year, it was still a wonderful read with great writing, engaging characters, and a satisfying ending.

No Cure for Being Human: And Other Truths I Need to Hear by Kate Bowler (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Libby • Nonfiction (Memoir) • 2021

Short synopsis: Kate Bowler confronts her cancer diagnosis with honesty and wit, challenging the toxic positivity of self-help culture and exploring what it means to live meaningfully in a fragile, unpredictable world.

This was a quick audiobook (5 hours), and the author narrates it herself. She did a fantastic job, weaving together poignant reflections and snarky commentary into a cohesive, compelling narrative. The book is about Kate Bowler’s cancer diagnosis—where she was essentially given a death sentence, though she is thankfully still alive today—and explores what it means to face the end of your life while trying to keep living. The most heart-wrenching parts, for me, were when she talked about her son, who was only three at the time of her diagnosis. She is raw and honest about her fears about leaving him motherless and imagining the life he might have without her. Despite the heavy subject matter, Kate writes with levity and honesty, and left me feeling more hopeful than sad.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.30.25)

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Mystery • 2021

Short synopsis: When Elizabeth receives a plea for help from an old colleague entangled in a deadly mess involving stolen diamonds and a violent mobster, the Thursday Murder Club springs into action. But as the bodies pile up, the team must outwit a ruthless killer who won’t hesitate to silence them first.

I read the first book of this series (appropriately titled The Thursday Murder Club) and was underwhelmed. I had a hard time keeping everyone straight and found the mystery to be a bit convoluted. But people continue to rave about this series, and I wanted to at least give the second book a try before calling it quits entirely. And, wow, I am so glad I did because this book was excellent! I was riveted from beginning to end, and I kept being surprised by the twists and turns of this book. Every time I thought I had figured things out, something new would happen to throw me off the scent. I found it much easier to keep all of the characters straight this time, and found myself falling deeply in love with all of them. They are such delightful characters and I’m excited to read the next book in the series soon!

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Hoopla • Fiction • 2020

Short synopsis: Eighty-five-year-old Eudora Honeysett has decided to end her life on her own terms—until a spirited ten-year-old and a kind neighbor draw her into an unexpected friendship that rekindles her joy and forces her to reconsider what it means to truly live.

This book was unbearably sad at times, but also hopeful and sweet. Eudora Honeysett is a woman who has had a hard life and is now alone and ready to die on her own terms. She’s going through the process of assisted death by a company in Switzerland, but in the midst of that, she befriends her new neighbor Rose—an energetic, sweet, and delightfully odd child who I absolutely adored. She was such a great contrast to Eudora’s grumpy nature! Their intergenerational friendship was unexpected yet so sweet and lovely.

This novel explores aging, death, and what it means to have a dignified end-of-life process. My anxiety is rooted in a lot of these issues—thinking about my own aging process (and not having children to take care of me when I’m older), as well as knowing my mom is aging and I will one day be responsible for her care. This book helped me reframe those fears. It doesn’t have to be scary or sad, but rather it can be a beautiful celebration of a life well-lived. It’s also a powerful call to take care of our elderly population and to think about what a dignified, happy aging process will look like for me (and my mom). And it’s a reminder to keep my heart open for all kinds of intergenerational friendships and to focus on building a life that brings happiness now. All in all, this book will provide you with a lot of food for thought. (Recommendation source: Sarah’s Book Shelves Live.)

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (indie) • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: Three years after a fake college marriage, starving artist Anna and wealthy heir Liam must pretend to still be happily wed so he can claim a $100 million inheritance—only to discover their long-buried feelings might be more real than they ever expected. 

I inhaled this romance! It was incredibly fun, and the private island setting for Liam’s sister’s lavish wedding gave me Crazy Rich Asians vibes. Anna is someone who doesn’t exactly fit into Liam’s ultra-wealthy world, made worse by the fact that he told his family that Anna is a doctor (since she was a premed student when they met, and he didn’t know she changed her major to art). This is definitely one of those “wealthy people behaving badly” stories, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I devour these kinds of books. The wealthy people in this book have nuance to them, though, and I appreciated that. I loved the romance between Liam and Anna, and whew, were those sex scenes hot. This is not a closed-door romance! I also loved the way everything wrapped up—the dark moment was believable, and it was resolved quickly and maturely without relying on an annoying miscommunication trope. All in all, a deeply satisfying romance! (4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.)

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

How I Use Goodreads and The StoryGraph

Last month, on Sarah’s Book Shelves Live Patreon feed, Sarah and two of her co-hosts discussed the various ways they utilize Goodreads and The StoryGraph as part of their reading lives. It was a fascinating discussion, and I thought it could be an interesting blog post since the way I use these apps is a bit different. Let’s discuss!

How I Use Goodreads

I’ve been on Goodreads since 2011, and as of today, I have marked 1,643 books as read. After Instagram, Goodreads is my favorite social media app because it has a strong community aspect that I don’t think The StoryGraph has quite mastered yet. Here are some of the top ways I use Goodreads:

As my ongoing TBR list

Whenever I hear about a book I want to add to my TBR list, I automatically pull up Goodreads to add it to my “want-to-read” shelf. I’ve also created different shelves for all of my recommendation sources, such as Currently Reading (broken down by which host recommended the book), Sarah’s Book Shelves, Book Riot, etc. This is where my main TBR list lives and one of my rules for myself when it comes to buying books is that it has to be a book that is on my Goodreads TBR list. This is supposed to help me rein in my book spending, but I don’t know if that’s working out as expected.

Since I use the want-to-read Goodreads feature as my TBR, you might think I have a lot of books on this shelf. (Like my friend who has an 800-book-deep Goodreads TBR.) But nope! Currently, I have 180 books on this shelf, and I try my best to keep it under 200 books at any given time. I will regularly remove books from the list, especially if I see the Goodreads rating has dropped below 3.7 stars or a friend gave it a bad review (or a review that clues me in that it’s not a Stephany book). I also try to remove books that have been sitting on the list for many years. (If it’s been on the list for more than five years, I’m probably not that interested in reading it, you know?)

To track what I’m currently reading

Whenever I start reading a book, I immediately update Goodreads to make sure it shows as “Currently Reading.” And then every day or so, I’ll update the page count because I just find that process to be fun. Goodreads doesn’t use that data in any way (that I know of), but it helps my brain see that I’m making progress through a book, even if it’s minimal.

I also update Goodreads almost immediately after finishing a book. I’ll give it a star rating and then a quick one- or two-sentence review. I haven’t always been good at leaving reviews of the books I read, but I’m trying to be better about that. When I finish a book, I also add it to a variety of different shelves: the current year (I have a shelf set up for each year I’ve been on Goodreads so I can keep track of how many books I’ve read each year), the genre, and any other factors I want to keep track of (aka: Book of the Month books, book club books, queer books, racial justice books, etc.).

To find recommendations for people

When people ask me for book recommendations, it feels like every single book I have ever read has left my brain. I cannot remember a single title so forget trying to recommend a book I loved and want someone to read! And that’s why I love Goodreads. Looking for a great romance? I can tap on my “romance” shelf on Goodreads, sort by rating, and boom. I’ve got a handful of easy recommendations. Looking for an outstanding audiobook for a road trip? Done – I can access my “audiobooks” shelf on Goodreads to find some options for you. I may not be able to remember my favorite books off the top of my head, but Goodreads has my back.

As historical context for my own reading life

Goodreads holds 14 years of data on my reading life, and I find it fascinating to look at it through a historical lens. I can see how my reading years have ebbed and flowed. For example, 2013 was the first year I read over 100 books but I didn’t regularly start reading 100+ books per year until 2017. I can see that 2020 was my highest reading year (153) while 2011 was my lowest (55). I can read old reviews and have concrete evidence of the way my views have changed dramatically over the last decade and a half. (One of my most popular reviews is of a Christian book where I went hog wild about all the Christian themes and how much I loved them… it’s a review I cringe about now, but I haven’t taken it down because it’s a look into who I was then.) It’s interesting to see how I rated certain books, especially if I reread the book many years later and have a different opinion. (Which has happened!)

To see what my friends are reading/rating

I receive a daily Goodreads email newsletter that updates me on what my friends are reading and what they are rating the books they’ve finished. I devour that email because I love being nosy about my friends’ reading lives, and I’ve received some great recommendations from it, too! Sure, I can find all of this out by scrolling the Goodreads app but I rarely do that, and typically rely on this email to get the updates I crave. This is the community aspect of Goodreads that I love. I can see what my friends are reading and comment on their reviews.

To read reviews

One of my favorite ways to use Goodreads is to read scathing reviews of books I didn’t like. Bonus points if it’s a popular book with a high Goodreads rating. Often, these reviews help me better understand my own thoughts and feelings about a book. After all, not every book is for every reader and what might have annoyed the shit out of me might be something another reader really loves. When I’m writing a review, I want to be honest about why I didn’t like a certain book without making people feel like I’m attacking them if they did love the book.

But also – it’s not always altruistic. I really love snarky reviews of books I didn’t love. It makes me feel less alone in my hatred and as if someone else “gets it.” Again, it’s the community part of Goodreads that keeps me coming back again and again.

Miscelleanous 

There are some other miscellaneous ways I use Goodreads. For example, every year I set a reading goal, and I like that I can see my progress whenever I log into Goodreads through the web platform. (I don’t get too stressed out about this goal. I like making it challenging enough that it’ll be difficult but not impossible to complete. Currently, I’m 5 books behind on my 2025 goal, lolz.)

Every now and then, I enter the Goodreads giveaways (only when I get an email about it and only if it’s a print version of the book). I was more successful at winning these giveaways in the early days of Goodreads and haven’t won one of them in many, many years.

I will also use Goodreads to vet books I hear about on a podcast or find through Book of the Month. Typically, these are books that haven’t been published yet or have just come out, so they don’t have a ton of reviews. If I see one of these books has less than a 4.0 rating with under 100 reviews, I typically won’t add it to my TBR. Goodreads reviewers are usually quite generous with ratings, so a new book with a low rating is a red flag for me.

How I Use The StoryGraph

I am pretty new to The StoryGraph. I joined it a few years ago (and imported my entire Goodreads data at that time), but only started actually using it this year. I don’t find it to be as user-friendly as Goodreads, but that could be because I’m just more familiar with Goodreads. Just like Goodreads, I use The StoryGraph to keep track of what I’m currently reading, and every night, I update my page count (or audiobook hours). The reason I do this is that The StoryGraph provides a delightful infographic at the end of every month. (TBH, the graphic could be prettier, but beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.) The StoryGraph pulls together some of my bookish stats – books read, average rating, average time to finish a book, highest-rated books, genre breakdown, etc. – and puts them in an infographic that I can share on social media. It also makes a calendar of your reading life throughout the month, showing what books you read each day and how many pages you read of said books, which I think is really fun! (I don’t share this on social media because it’s likely only fascinating for me.)

The other benefits of The StoryGraph are that you can choose quarter- and half-star ratings for books and can mark books as DNFs. (Goodreads doesn’t have this option, although you can add an “exclusive” shelf to your account that can function as an abandoned shelf.) I also love the wrap-up after finishing a book. It’s almost like a survey you get to fill out to discuss the different moods (sad, tense, inspiring, funny, reflective, etc.) of the book as well as the characters, the pace, and trigger warnings.

I’m not really using The StoryGraph for anything more than tracking what I’m reading and using the infographic at the end of the month. I do try to check in on what my friends are reading when I’m updating my stats in the app, but I don’t know a lot of people who are using this app right now, so my friends list is rather pitiful.

Goodreads vs. The StoryGraph

If I had to pick just one app to use to track my reading, it would still be Goodreads. I need The StoryGraph to become more community-focused for me to change my opinion, but right now, it seems to be prioritizing personalized recommendations and infographics. I love the infographics, but have no use for the recommendations, so I never even look at those. Hopefully, The StoryGraph will continue to grow and add new features, to the point where it surpasses my love for Goodreads. For now, I’ll keep doing my thing and updating two apps at once.

Follow me on Goodreads and The StoryGraph!

Do you use Goodreads and/or The StoryGraph? If not, how do you keep track of your reading, your TBR, and all that jazz?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.18.25)

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Amazon) • Nonfiction • 2016

Short synopsis: Tracing the origin and evolution of anti-Black racist ideas in America through the lives of five influential figures, Kendi reveals how these ideas were deliberately crafted to justify and maintain racial inequality. 

I FINISHED! It took me 32 days to read this behemoth, but I got it done. This is an exhaustive summary of the history of racism in the United States through the lens of specific historical figures, such as Thomas Jefferson and Angela Davis, and I am so impressed by the amount of research and writing that went into this book. This is a hard book to recommend because it reads very much like a textbook. If you’re new to Kendi’s work, I’d suggest starting with How to Be an Antiracist, which is much more accessible. Still, if you’re looking for a comprehensive dive into how racist ideas were constructed and sustained throughout American history, this is the book for you.

The ending was a bit jarring for me, to be honest. This book was published in spring 2016 during Obama’s presidency, when we were certain that Hillary was going to succeed him, so some of his conclusions felt a little out of step in the world we live in today. But that’s not his fault nor the fault of the book; it’s just something to keep in mind while reading.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (★★★☆☆)

Print • From a Friend • Contemporary Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: On a remote island near Antarctica, the Salt family—caretakers of the world’s largest seed bank—grapples with grief, isolation, and change as they prepare for evacuation. When a mysterious woman washes ashore during a violent storm, long-buried secrets surface, forcing them all to confront the past and decide who they can trust before time runs out.

This book has been getting a lot of buzz, and after a friend raved about it, I moved it up my TBR list. Ultimately, I had a bit of an uneven reading experience. Some of the book was exceptional: the writing is exquisite, and I loved the setting: an island that is slowly disappearing due to climate change. It gave the whole book a moody, creepy atmosphere. But other parts of the book were mind-numbingly boring. There were long descriptions of plant life, seed farming, and ocean ecosystems that were just tedious to get through. There were chapters written from the POV of a nine-year-old that felt like they were written by an adult scientist. I found myself skimming those parts. While I can see why this book resonates with so many readers, for me it was just okay. (Recommendation source: IRL friend.)

This American Woman: A One-in-a-Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Spotify • Nonfiction (Memoir) • 2025

Short synopsis: Award-winning comedian Zarna Garg turns her astonishing life story into a hilarious memoir—from narrowly escaping an arranged marriage in India to carving her own path in America and launching a dazzling second act in midlife.

This memoir was hysterical in parts and deeply moving in others. I wasn’t familiar with Zarna Garg before picking up the audiobook based on a recommendation, but the synopsis of the story was so compelling that I couldn’t help myself! Zarna’s early life was difficult: she lost her mother at a young age and experienced homelessness. Her harrowing journey of finally getting a visa to come to the United States had me on the edge of my seat! If not for getting her visa at the right time, she would have had to go through with an arranged marriage.

What I appreciated most about this book is Zarna. I may not have known who she was before starting this memoir, but man, I am in awe of her now! She is bold, smart, and fierce, and I think we could all do to have a little bit of her in us. For example, when she was in her early twenties, she put up this insane personal ad to find a husband. This was in the early nineties when we weren’t going online to find our future partners. But men responded to her ad, and she did indeed find her future husband through that process. (I need this romance novel written immediately!)

She also devotes a chapter to navigating the brutal private school scene in NYC. This could have felt tone-deaf, but it was honestly just refreshingly honest and hilarious. While the second half was a bit slower than the first half, this was a heartfelt, entertaining memoir that I definitely recommend! (Recommendation source: Jeff O’Neal of the Book Riot podcast.)

What are you reading?